Do you fancy taking part in an exciting theatre audience research project? Are you curious about your own and others’ experiences of live theatre? Would you like to see three very different theatre shows for free here at HOME?
Leeds University postgraduate researcher Emma McDowell is exploring how audiences and artists experience live theatre, and in particular how meaning and value from these experiences are created, articulate and communicated. Emma is working closely with our Marketing and Theatre teams on this project and is looking for a small group of enthusiastic volunteer participants to take part in the project. You will be asked to see three different HOME productions across 2019, as well as attend a discussion group and an interview. No experience or knowledge of theatre is required – Emma is looking for a mix of people to take part – so if you’ve never been to a theatre show before, then this might be a great opportunity for you to try something new!
With a background in arts marketing and audience research, Emma has always been inspired by the breadth of responses and meanings that audiences take away from a live theatre performance: ‘People often think that you need to have some sort of education or background in theatre in order to understand it, especially the more contemporary stuff. But I’ve discovered that a lot of the time my strongest or most powerful responses to a theatre show have been because I’ve not really understood what’s going on or why I like it! Perhaps it’s just more of an intuitive or social response. I’m talking about that interaction with the theatre maker and other audience members. That’s the question that really fascinates me – how we make sense of and take value from what is often deemed to be the ‘same’ experience for everyone, and then of course how we communicate that to different people. I can’t wait to work with audience participants on this project, and I’m really excited to be working in partnership with HOME and with some great theatre companies.’
Interested in taking part?
For more information on the project, or to register your interest to take part, just fill out this survey…
All participants need to be over 18yrs old and to register their interest before Thu 4 April.
This project is funded by White Rose College of Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH).
